Bittersweet
by DiscreetMalice
Summary: Even if everything seems alright, nothing ever goes the right way. Currently a series of oneshots. Mostly containing Barnaby/Kotetsu, Kotetsu/Barnaby
1. Chapter 1

Oh my, I haven't written in over a year. So lets see how badly I've lost my touch in writing ;_; But I adore this series too much not to contribute in some sort of way as a fan.

Pairing: Barnaby/Kotetsu

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><p>The malice in his eyes was more evident that it should have been, though Barnaby was too tired to hide it as he hung over Kotetsu's limp form curled beneath his sheets, face buried deep into the pillows. He seemed peaceful, even after being handled by an impudent man barely out of his teens. You could even say he looked happy, yet that could just be his mind playing tricks against him. He had changed once they were alone. The minute he had brought the old man to his apartment and shut the door behind him, he seemed to completely snap. Even the great Wild Tiger was forced to wince at some point.<br>All the pent up frustration he had been storing was soon lashed out against his partner, who had accepted it with a smile, saying that it would make him feel better afterwards. It may have been a good idea, though for Barnaby Brooks Jr. things seemed to have taken to the wrong turn, it was as if he had lost his consciousness trough ecstasy and came out anew.  
>Kotetsu only smiled, even with his wrists tangled behind him firmly, he only ever continued thinking of others "I can handle this" He had panted out, facing away from the blond as if to hide his current expression; whatever else escaped the older mans lips was now a haze in Barnaby's mind.<br>Had he been restraining enough frustration, to loose his composure so easily? A frown quickly formed but his face softened slightly with Kotestu scooting closer to him in his sleep. He sighed and brushed his fingers trough his shaggy hair and stays seated watching the mans sleeping face.  
>He didn't understand Kotetsu most of the time. How could any man handle being so...Noble? Was it even humanly possible? He sighs again, looking over the clock on his desk; one of the few items on in his dull apartment, and goes to stand up but is quickly stopped. Barnaby practically jumps but refuses to show any look of surprise when he looks back at the man poking out of the sheets, his eyes barely open though still focused on him "Where ya going bunny?" he yawns somehow trying to pull himself out from under the covers.<br>"...I was going to make breakfast" He points to the clock once he regains his composure.  
>Tiger looks over taking his time though seems reluctant to let go of Barnaby's hand. But he does anyways having nothing to say at the moment, he simply sinks back into the bed comfortably as he waits. Barnaby continues to the kitchen as planned and finds nothing to make other than cereal.<br>Was his house really that empty? Anytime the old man came over he constantly complained on how dull the condo was. Lately it was making the man more conscious of the fact.  
>It doesn't matter. He scoffs; it's not as if the old man was the type to complain about getting free food anyways. He serves the breakfast, slightly thankful he has yet to do anything that would actually consume his energy; he knows it's soon to be wasted if there's some delinquent causing trouble in the city.<br>Heading back he stops at the doorway, he's taken back by how different his partner seems. Kotetsu, sitting back up had his arms hung over his knees (still covered waist down by the sheets) was now staring out the window, almost in a state of melancholy, but then instantly bounces back seeing the other hero.  
>"Hmm? So what did Bunny make for me?" he teases with the usual goofy grin. Barnaby only stares, and then mentally slaps himself when it finally hits him. It IS impossible for somebody to be that noble. Nobody could ever be this happy about the dumbest things, Barnaby thinks.<br>It's not just him that holds his own frustrations. Kotetsus just better hiding it.  
>Barnaby was used to being all alone, he enjoyed the silence anyways, yet with the constant cheer of his fans and praises from the other heroes whenever he came along made everyday practically eventful and livid. For the old man it was practically the opposite. It wasn't that he craved for any particular sort of attention, but it showed that the man seemed almost alone when all the attention went straight to Barnaby. He never showed jealousy over the subject, but he always watched him when the blonde took all the praise as if convincing himself, that even without the praising he wasn't being left behind by everyone.<br>But, Barnaby says nothing. The morning seems too good to ruin just yet, he hands the older man the bowl and sits beside him putting a spoonful in his mouth as he kept watching his partner. His eyes focused on the light bruising on Kotetsu's wrists. It was a surprise the old man hadn't stated his complaints yet.  
>Why hadn't he? Barnaby frowns yet again, even if the other hero is rather selfless, it wouldn't mean that he would ignore something like this. Or was it because he had permitted this to happen?<br>That brought another question, why did he let Barnaby do with him as he pleased? Was it really because he wanted to help? Or was there something to it?  
>"Yo bunny, whatcha staring at?" Kotetsu lifts his head having already finished eating, breaking Barnaby's train of thought. He shakes his head though ends up speaking up without even thinking, "Why?"<br>"Huh?" His partner tilts his head slightly looking puzzled by how upset Barnaby sounded "Why what?"  
>"You know what." He hisses dryly "Why did you let what happened last night happen?" He doesn't raise his voice but sounds angrier with each word. Seems his patience had just run out even with Kotetsu doing absolutely nothing.<br>"You looked like you needed it," he replies, Barnaby doesn't want to take this as his answer and stands up glaring down at him. "I'm not blind old man! I know there has to be something else!" He doesn't want to believe that all that had happened was simply out of pity; he realized this to be the main cause of his frustration. Could Kotetsu be just like the rest? Looking down at him because of what he never got to have?  
>He didn't even realize his eyes were watery until he felt a dry hand wiping his eyes before any tears had threatened to fall. "Relax Bunny. I didn't do any of this out of pity," he replies practically reading his mind.<br>He only stares at him now, narrowing his eyes to look less like a frustrated child. The old man smiles, though this time not one of those large goofy grins, but a small sincere smile. Though as sincere as it was it was also tinged with some malice of his own.  
>"Actually, I'm not too proud of this, but I did it for myself." He tells Barnaby, watching his frustrated expression changed to a look of confusion and disbelief.<br>"It's so lonely you know, ever since my wife passed...But it really has nothing to do with that, I just needed someone to make me feel less alone. You always seem to get everyone's attention, somehow...When I have time with just you to myself, I feel as if that's for me too"  
>What he says is honest, Barnaby can tell by how he takes his time choosing his words simply, yet still a bit jumbled. Parts don't make sense but by now he can understand what the man means.<br>Their time alone together is the only time Kotetsu can feel as if the praise is directed towards him, it's the only time he feels that people actually see him as something other than a wreck less liability. Tiger's logic may not have made any scence at all but he knew that any praise from himself, was also led by all the people who had praised beforehand. Though, would he really sleep with him just for something like that? Or was there more.  
>"Maybe, nothing matters as long as I have someone to distract me from all those dumb thoughts," Kotetsu adds once he sees Barnaby having already taken in what he had said.<br>He doesn't understand why, but his cheeks flush once the sentence comes out, he turns his head trying to hide the uncharacteristic feature from the man. He is not too surprised when Kotetsu moves his head again so they face to face and chuckles. "You know bunny, I can't always be perfect. Sometimes even a great hero like me needs to be selfish about something."  
>By now, his anger is gone; it feels like it was never there in the first place. Maybe the old man was using him, and he was using him in return. But in the end isn't that what love really is?<p>

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><p>Its really late, my eyes itch so i'm not even bothering to re-read this. If you actually like the story but have some ideas on what I can fix, tell me, I actually like when people see something wrong with what I've written because then I can improve myself.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Its so late right now, and probably when I re-read this I'll be considering what was going in my mind once I spot the jumbled up sentences I always find when editing.

Also thank you to anyone that is reading this and actually enjoying this.

Pairing: None, but can be considered Kotetsu/Barnaby, Barnaby/Kotetsu

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><p>Kotesu was not an alchoholic. He just drank alot. Almost everyday. Nobody ever brought it up, he never came to work drunk, and he could live without it. But, with the object available on a daily basis, why waist it? It wasn't as if he was a delinquent kid anymore, just a lonely old man who's own daughter had hit that age where parents were 'uncool' compared to their brat friends. Even calling her on a daily basis, his own child tried rushing through the conversation so she could hang up, she didn't even try to look interested anymore.<p>

He was sore from work, though usually the soreness never came from his actual work. Each time they caught a bad-guy there was the dreaded interview to look forward to. And of course, with the great Barnaby Brooks Jr. as his partner nobody would record what he said and simply focus on Barnaby, so as usuall he was forced to stand next to his partner and pray the interview would end soon.

Though this time, the pattern he had gotten completely become used to was interrupted now that Barnaby was following him home. He has a car, though with nothing waiting for him at home walking through the metropolitan area eased his mind. Expecially after a long day working. Every now and then he'd stop in a bar of cafe and just sit inside untill they closed. Though having his partner around, it was easyer just to head straight home before anybody started to run after him for an autograph or whatever fangirls did.

Barnaby hadn't said anything the entire walk to the townhouse, he seemed to be registering everything since as many times as Kotetsu had barged into his own apartment to see if he was taking care of himself, he didn't even know where the man lived period.

To his suprise Kotetsu's home wasn't shabby as he had thought it would be. The only mess he could complain over was all the beer bottles and cans thrown on the floor or even left abandoned on all of the flat surfaces he could find.

"When was the last time you even bothered to pick up old man?" "I cleaned a week ago!" A voice comes out from the kitchen. Barnaby's frown deepens, so that means the man has drank this much in just a week. He had already suspected something the first time they had drank at his apartment.

Kotesu can already tell somethings up when he walks in only to be glared at "Thats not cute Bunny" he retorts trying to break the tension with a goofy smile. Barnaby's expression doesn't change. He picks up one of the bottles and waves it in front of his face "You drink a lot?"

This time its Kotetsu's turn to furrow his brows, "Maybe. So?"

"I think you have a problem" He states bluntly without even considering multiple possibilities.

"I don't" the man states frowning, for once he seems offended and even Barnaby is taken back, even if he considered it a serious matter he had still expected the man to play off as if it was nothing.

"If you think I'm some sort of an alchoholic, I'm going to save you the trouble and state that I am not."

"Then what about all of these bottles?" He says sceptically.

"Yeah, I drink alot" He admits "But I'm not addicted. I can stop whenever I want but why should I?"

"Your job of-" "When have you ever seen my drinking become involved in my work?" He interupts calmly, but each word he speaks feels anxious, as if he himself had no confidence in the words he spoke even if it were a simple statement.

Barnaby frowns, ever since the Jake incident he had felt a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders, but Kotetsu seemed only to become more bitter. There on the verge of a heated argument, Barnaby knows that. He has to be carefull with what he says.

He had yet to even see the man angry, but it made him uneasy to even consider it possible. The subject seemed touchy, even if it really wasn't an addiction.

He won't admit that it still worries him, even as a NEXT, he was still human.

So he does the only thing he thinks of, he sits on the mans couch without a word. Kotetsu's eyes follow him though look around awkwardly now recognizing his own behavior.

Barnaby is now staring at the coffe table expectantly before finally looking up, "so you don't like feeding your guests?"

The man jumps and scratches the back of his neck "Oh right! I'll get some leftovers" he says running to the kitchen.

The topic is dropped too easily, but somehow Barnaby feels he needs to trust the man on the matter for once.

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><p>I also don't mind doing request, I tend to just write whatever the hell I want when I'm bored so something to go off might end up being more specific.<p>

Any genre, fluff might kill me but I'm willing to give it a go just to better myself.


	3. Chapter 3

This is probably the shortest thing I've written so far but after the newest episode I felt like I had to write even the tiniest of drabbles.

Pairing: None, just a really lonely Kotetsu

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><p>Times running out. He knows that much. The frustrations set in and with everyone thinking he's stepping aside for others to claim the faim, it only gets worse. He won't tell any of them of course, but he stil wants atleast one to notice. When Barnaby smiles this time, thanking him again for stepping aside, he can't hide the frown that follows. But just as all of the other heroes, he's happy. And it seemed everyone was blinded by something so simple not to notice the older mans melancholy.<p>

He dismisses himself early, feeling his stomach tighten further. Once home he's back on his old couch, scribbling in the new time limit he's come to. He doesn't know what to do anymore. He wants to prepare for the worst. But he knows he'll never be ready. The notebooks put aside and replaced with a beer at hand to help blur his mind a bit. He's been concentrating too much on this.

The week doesn't get any beter. He had litterally been in the dumps for some time. Maybe it was better this way? No. He knows this could never be the case.

He had devoted his entire life to being a hero, how could he ever trully admit this is how things should be?

Every now and then he'll try to show his frustration, just hoping someone will know. They never do.

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><p>For anyone that's actually reading this the next pairing chapter MIGHT have fluff. I always do that when a series starts becoming angsty. Such a rebel I am~<p> 


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